In the time period of Demonetization effect, the government has taken another step to provide some relief to the common people. And this time, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu comes to the rescue of the commoners. As the Indian Railways on Tuesday announced that it would waive off service charges for E-tickets and I-tickets booked through IRCTC.
What Indian Railways official said on the waiving off the service charges on online ticket Bookings?
According to the railways official, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) has been asked to relieve the service charges on online booking in a bid to encourage cashless transactions from November 23 to December 31.
“Now the passengers won’t have to pay the service charges on booking E-tickets and I-tickets through IRCTC from November 23 to December 31,” railway Spokesperson Anil Kumar Saxena told IANS.
He said the decision was taken at a meeting here between the senior officials of the railways and IRCTC to encourage cashless transactions following the government’s move to demonetise Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 currency notes.
Until now, the railways or if we say the IRCTC used to charge Rs. 20 as service tax for booking Sleeper class and Rs. 40 as service tax for booking AC class tickets through online booking or via IRCTC Smartphone App.
November 8 marked a historic decision taken by the government of India as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the spike Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 bank notes to kerb black money and corruption.
However, the government also announced that the higher notes will be accepted until November 24 midnight for booking tickets at the railway stations and buying food items in trains and on railway station premises.
Earlier also, the government has waived off the Toll charges on the various toll booths on the National Highways to provide some relief to the common people and also announced many other such steps but the chaos remained the same.
